CAREERS

The National Probation Service offers a range of careers for men and women. The service provides opportunities for its employees to further train and progress in an organisation that is at the heart of the Criminal Justice System.

Becoming a Probation Officer

About the training programme See http://www.probationtraining-midlandsconsortium.org.uk/index.html

The Diploma in Probation Studies (DipPS) is the qualification needed to work as a Probation Officer. It is a two year programme.The programme combines: -

• A BA Hons degree in Community and Criminal Justice
• A National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in Community Justice at Level Four.

The DipPS is only available to those appointed as Trainee Probation Officers, employed fulltime by Probation Areas or Probation Trusts.

THE DIPLOMA IN PROBATION STUDIES TRAINING PROGRAMME

Once appointed, trainees will become employees of a local Probation Area and commence a two year programme of academic study and practice based work. This will lead to the award of the BA (Hons) in Community and Criminal Justice and the NVQ Level 4 in Community Justice, which together make up the Diploma in Probation Studies (DipPS) – the qualification needed to work as a Probation Officer.

The Degree

As well as being employees of a Probation Area, trainees will be enrolled as students on the BA (Hons) in Community and Criminal Justice undergraduate degree programme. The Midlands Probation Areas are in partnership with De Montfort University, Leicester, to deliver this programme.

The degree is designed to meet the employment needs and professional qualification of National Probation Service trainees. This is delivered in a modular format which combines academic input and employment-based learning, including the completion of an NVQ level four in Community Justice.

Trainees will gain academic credits for their work-based practice and will complete the programme in two years. The degree is a distance learning programme.

Modules are introduced through introductory workshops and then undertaken through a series of study activities, directed by the Module Guide, including online seminars, structured reading and exercises.

Each module is assessed and attracts 15 credits at undergraduate level and students are required to gain 360 credits for an honours degree.

There are a number of themes which underpin the programme enabling students to extend their understanding of community and criminal justice to their specialist field. These include an interdisciplinary approach to community and criminal justice, and methods of working with risk and public protection.

NVQ

NVQs are work-based and can only be obtained when applicants have demonstrated their competence in practice. The Units of Competence for Trainee Probation Officers are prescribed by the Regulations for the DipPS.

Trainee Probation Officers will be expected to undertake a full range of Probation Officer activities under supervision. They will work with a Practice Development Assessor, who will help to create the opportunities to learn, practice and demonstrate the relevant skills and knowledge.

(The precise arrangements may differ among Areas, but in every Probation Area or Trust there will be someone who has the responsibility to guide and teach the trainee in this way and someone who will be responsible for assessment).

To gain the necessary learning opportunities, trainees may work in a number of different settings in the course of their traineeship. It should be noted that there may also be some residential requirement for a small number of training workshops.